Unlawful Killing ruling Prompts Calls for Reconsideration in Domestic Abuse Suicide Case
Domestic abuse charities and campaigners are urgently calling on police and prosecutors to revisit criminal charges against a man following a coroner’s finding that his alleged decade of abuse drove his partner to suicide.The case, centered around the death of 32-year-old Georgia Barter, highlights a growing concern over the lack of accountability in domestic abuse-related suicides.
the inquest, held in east London, concluded that Georgia Barter was unlawfully killed. Dr. Radcliffe stated, “On or around 5 April 2020 [Georgia] had been assaulted by her long-term partner, who had been violent towards her on a number of occasions during their relationship.” The coroner further noted “clear evidence” that Barter suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, conditions exacerbated by her partner’s behavior.
Despite previous arrests and contact with at least four police forces, Barter’s former partner, Thomas Bignell, was never charged with any violent offenses against her. Following her death, the Metropolitan Police reinvestigated the case, submitting a detailed file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). However, prosecutors determined there was “insufficient evidence” to pursue charges, a decision upheld even after an appeal by the Met.
The Metropolitan Police are now reviewing the coroner’s findings, acknowledging that a new referral of evidence to the CPS would be required to reopen the case.
Advocacy groups are intensifying pressure on authorities to reconsider. Frank Mullane, chief executive of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, which supports Barter’s family, emphasized the significance of the inquest’s conclusion. “Although the standards of proof are different for the criminal court and the inquest court, nonetheless, the inquest concluded that Georgia was unlawfully killed,” Mullane said. “Therefore, if the CPS, subsequent to the inquest, decides not to review its decision not to bring charges, the family – and indeed society – is owed a clear explanation as to why.”
The charity is advocating for new legislation to help juries understand the link between domestic abuse and suicide, perhaps classifying such cases as manslaughter with comparable sentencing guidelines. A CPS spokesperson previously stated that the case “underwent rigorous scrutiny by experienced prosecutors,” but the evidential test for prosecution was not met, even after two separate reviews.
The lack of convictions in these cases is drawing sharp criticism. Karen Ingala Smith,co-creator of The Femicide Census,pointed to a disturbing trend. “Figures now suggest that women’s deaths by suicide are greater than those where a man directly acts to kill a woman,” she stated. “Until the criminal justice system catches up, hundreds of men who have caused women’s deaths are at liberty to subject woman after woman to levels of abuse that make them feel that the only escape is to end their lives.”
Ingala Smith highlighted the fact that there hasn’t been a manslaughter conviction for causing a woman’s suicide in the UK since 2017.She expressed outrage that Bignell “walks among us” despite the evidence of years of abuse, a coroner’s finding of unlawful killing, and the potential risk he poses to future partners.
Other organizations echoed these concerns. Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, stressed the need for accountability. “male violence and abuse has a devastating and wide-reaching impact on victims’ lives, which can continue long after the relationship ends,” Simon explained. “It’s imperative that we don’t have a closed-off route to prosecution for suicides caused by domestic abuse.”
Pragna Patel, from Project Resist’s Suicide is Homicide Campaign, underscored the difficulties families face in pursuing justice.”Grieving families…are than having to cope with having to do their own investigations, which should be the responsibility of the state,” Patel said. Her organization is campaigning for all deaths suspected to be linked to domestic abuse to be treated as homicides from the outset.
In Georgia Barter’s case, Patel believes the unlawful killing ruling necessitates a thorough reconsideration by both the police and the CPS.The case serves as a stark reminder of the complex challenges in prosecuting domestic abuse-related suicides and the urgent need for systemic change to protect vulnerable individuals and hold perpetrators accountable.
